13 Surprising Facts about Coconut Oil

Last week, I attended a talk entitled "Coconut Oil: The Truth Shall Make You Healthy" by Dr. Fabian Dayrit in Oracle Hotel. He is a full-time Chemistry professor at Ateneo De Manila University and the current Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee for Health of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community. Dr. Dayrit is the author of the popular book Coconut Oil: From Diet to Therapy. He also holds a doctorate degree on Chemistry at the Princeton University.

Filipinos loves eating food especially the fried one but, we are also aware that eating fried food everyday is not good for our body. Not until we discovered coconut oil, it is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.” Benefits include weight loss, better brain function, skin health, help boost metabolism, decrease abdominal fat while helping the body stay energized.

Here are the 13 things I learned about coconut oil:

1. Coconut Oil has Lauric Acid that has antimicrobial properties. Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil is the 12-carbon Lauric Acid. When digested, it forms a substance called monolaurin and can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi.

2. Coconut Oil has no transfat and has no cholesterol. Cosuming food with trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It's also associated with a higher risk of developing type II diabetes

3. Coconut Oil has fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties. It contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.

4. Coconut Oil has healthy fats called medium-chain fatty acids these unique fats includes Caprylic acid, Lauric acid and Capric acid. 62% of the oils in coconut are made up of these 3 healthy fatty acids and 91% of the fat in coconut oil is healthy saturated fat.

5. Coconut Oil can be use to protect hair against damage, can moisturize skin and could also function as a sunscreen.

6. Coconut Oil can help burn more fat. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increase calories burned over 24 hours by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.

7. The fatty acids in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite.

8. The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil can increase blood concentration of ketone bodies, which can help reduce seizures in epileptic patients.

8. The saturated fats in coconut oil may increase “good” HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol in our body, but also help convert the “bad” LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol into a less harmful form.

9. Studies show that the fatty acids present in coconut oil can increase blood levels of ketones, supplying energy for the brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients and relieving symptoms.

10. Most of the fats that we consume take longer to digest, but MCFAs found in coconut oil provide the perfect source of energy because they only have to go through a 3 step process vs. other fats go through a 26 step process.

11. Coconut oil has been known to clear up and heal urinary (UTI) and kidney infections. The MCFA’s in the oil work as a natural antibiotic by disrupting the lipid coating on bacteria and killing them.

12. In a study published in 2004, they found that the MCFA’s found in coconut oil improved the memory problems and brain function in their older subjects.

13. According to research published in a medical journal, coconut oil improves antioxidant levels and can slow aging. Coconut oil works by reducing stress on the liver and by lowering oxidative stress.

In the Philippines, one of the leading coconut oil brand is MINOLA Premium Cooking Oil. It has Lauric Acid and Fortified with Vitamin A. No transfat and no cholesterol!

We can now eat delicious fried food without the guilt feeling. So use MINOLA for a healthy, sexy body this 2017!

Born in October 20, 1989 and a graduate of BSIE, JL Aquino started blogging in Blogspot back in 2007. He loves taking photos, trying out new things, eating and travelling. He has been to 6 countries and visited 28 out of 81 province in the Philippines. He's on Instagram too, follow him at @JayL_Aquino